A variety of dispensing apparatuses have heretofore been used or proposed for use for dispensing dry particulated materials such as seasoning materials on foodstuffs to enhance their flavor. More particularly, various drum-type dispensers have heretofore been employed for the application of particulated salt on the surfaces of foodstuffs such as snack foods including potato chips, corn chips, corn curls, pork rinds, crackers and the like. A continuing problem associated with prior art dispensers has been the limitation on the types of particulated materials that can be dispensed and the failure to achieve uniformity in the quantity of the particulated material applied to each of the individual foodstuffs.
In the dispensing of common salt on foodstuffs, it has heretofore been commonplace to dispense such salt in a granulated form employing prior art-type dispensing devices. In many instances, salt in the form of flakes provide distinct advantages in the quality and taste of the foodstuffs in comparison to salt in a granulated form. Unfortunately, dispensing devices of the types heretofore known have been unsatisfactory for effecting a uniform and controlled dispensing of such flake salt which has detracted from a more widespread use thereof.
Problems have also been associated with prior art dispensing devices in their inability to automatically regulate the quantity of material being dispensed relative to changes in the quantity of foodstuffs passing the dispensing station. A further problem has been the difficulty in achieving a substantially uniform coverage of particulated material on all of the surfaces of the foodstuffs achieving uniform taste characteristics.
The present invention overcomes many of the problems and disadvantages associated with prior art dispensing devices by providing an apparatus which is of simple design and durable operation, which is of versatile use for dispensing a variety of different particulated materials, which is readily adaptable to automatic control for dispensing metered quantities of the particulated material as a function of the quantity of foodstuffs passing the dispensing station thereby achieving substantially constant quantities of dispensed material per foodstuff, which provides for a multiple contact of the foodstuffs with the particulated stream of material being dispensed assuring contact with all surfaces thereof assuring uniformity of the final product and which apparatus is of versatile use and adaptable to a variety of dispensing installations.